


Not Tougher Than Me

by DrowningInStarlight



Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Future Fic, Happy, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 16:57:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15393273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrowningInStarlight/pseuds/DrowningInStarlight
Summary: For a long, long time, Sammy hadn't wanted to live. Jack was gone, and without him Sammy's whole world was broken, irreversibly, irreparably. He'd spun out, like a planet without gravity, fallen for what felt like an eternity. But his nightmare hadn't lasted forever. Now Jack was here, the missing piece of Sammy's heart finally back where it belonged.And it just so happened the other pieces of Sammy's heart were around, too. For the first time in a long, long time, he didn't want to die. He wanted to live.A soft evening, years on.





	Not Tougher Than Me

**Author's Note:**

> Kfam is a happy place for me, so this is 1k words of soft, cosy fluff. Poly fics are my absolutely jam, and these four together especially.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, the kfam fic tag has passed 200 fics!! I'm so proud of us all!

For a long, long time, Sammy hadn't wanted to live. Jack was gone, and without him Sammy's whole world was broken, irreversibly, irreparably. He'd spun out, like a planet without gravity, fallen for what felt like an eternity. But his nightmare hadn't lasted forever. Now Jack was here, the missing piece of Sammy's heart finally back where it belonged. 

And it just so happened the other pieces of Sammy's heart were around, too. For the first time in a long, long time, he didn't want to die. He wanted to _live._

 

_______ 

 

The house was full of syrupy evening sunlight, and Sammy was in the kitchen, cooking dinner. The radio was on-- was it weird to listen to the radio station he worked at when he wasn't at work? He wasn't sure, but it was better than listening to Channel Thirteen. The guy who did the first evening show was just signing off, Chet's Jazz Corner would be on soon. And after that, of course, Sammy and Ben themselves. 

The saucepans on the oven-top bubbled, and Sammy handled them expertly; this was a well-worn routine. They took turns cooking on nights before shows, sometimes they went out on nights they didn't. This rhythm was comfortable and familiar, a family Sammy never thought he'd have. 

"Sammy," Ben said, bursting into the kitchen with a package in his hand. "You'll never guess what's just been delivered." 

"What? Has Archie sent us dog biscuits again?" Sammy handed Ben a spoon. "Here, stir this." 

Ben took the spoon. "No, not dog biscuits again, thank god. Come outside, the others need to hear this too." 

"Hang on..." Sammy leant across and turned the gas off. "There, now dinner's safe. Okay, lead the way." 

They went out of the double doors that led into the garden. Down at the bottom, Jack and Emily were up to their elbows in planting bulbs. 

For as long as Sammy could remember, Jack had kept house plants, his windowsills overflowing with bushy leaves. He'd grown even more fond of green, growing things after being rescued from... Sammy still couldn't think about it without a tendril of dread. 

Once Jack was back, he'd been overjoyed to discover that Emily shared his love for plants. It had been her who'd taken Jack round the range of flower seeds at the King Falls Mall, back when he couldn't sleep without waking up screaming. Even now, when the Void was a distant memory, the two of them worked for hours together in the garden. 

If he was being honest, Sammy had never been overly interested in Jack's house plant habits in the past, only paying attention at all when he'd been roped into watering duty. But since Jack's return he'd been more than happy to indulge him and Emily when it came to things that grew. Ben, too, was more than happy to help-- he'd memorized the watering schedule, and while Sammy didn't have proof, he strongly suspected he also had a notebook hidden away somewhere with all the plant knowledge you could possibly need. God, Sammy loved these nerds. 

"Guys," Ben said, waving the box in his hand. "You are not gonna believe what just got delivered."

"What?" Emily asked, sitting back and dusting off her hands. "Not dog biscuits again?"

"No. Why does everyone immediately assume it's dog biscuits?" 

"Well," Sammy said, "It was the weirdest thing that's ever been delivered to our doorstep." 

"Speak for yourself," Ben said. "You weren't there for the Rubber Mouse Incident down at the station. We got thirty three of them, never worked out who sent them or why." 

"Early days at the radio station sound wild," Jack said. "What's in that box?" 

"Oh, they were definitely wild," Ben said. "Dunno how I survived my internship. So, you know how _Sammy_ broke my kindle last week?" 

"Hey, I didn't mean too!" Sammy protested. "I was using it before going to bed and fell asleep, and it fell on the floor--"

"And you woke up and trod on it," Ben finished. "Right. Well, I was about to go online and get a new one, but then this was delivered?" He displayed the box. 

"Yeah, we can see that," Jack said, "But what _is_ it?" 

"It's a kindle, dude! That I didn't order!"

"Ooh, that's weird," Jack said. "It's definitely got your name on it?" 

"Yeah, one hundred percent. See? Right address and all. I'm so confused." 

"Did you get charged for it?" Jack asked. 

"I'm not sure, I'll check-- who the hell would send me a free kindle? Do you think I could have done it my sleep or something?" 

He and Jack set off up the garden, talking excitedly. Emily looked at Sammy with raised eyebrows. 

"You got him the kindle, didn't you?" she said. 

"Yeah," Sammy said with a laugh. "I just wanted to do something nice, as I was the one who broke his other one-- I didn't think it would be so mysterious. They _are_ professional journalists, after all." 

"Pancake puppies on how long it'll take them to work it out, Sammy?" 

"Emily, you temptress. Fine. If they guess before me and Ben leave for the show tonight, breakfast is on me. If not..." 

"Then I'll get all the pancake puppies you desire," Emily said. "That's a promise." 

 

_______ 

 

"--well, thanks for that, Archie-- oh my god." 

"Ben? You okay there, buddy?" Sammy asked. 

"I've just figured it out!"

"Figured what out, Benny?" Archie asked. 

"I've told you, Archie, it's _Ben_. And I just figured out the kindle thing," Ben pointed a finger at Sammy. "Listeners, as you probably know--" 

"Definitely know, you talked about it non-stop," Sammy muttered. 

" _Probably_ know, Sammy broke my kindle last week. Accidentally, but still, not cool. Then, this afternoon, a kindle addressed to my name was delivered to our house-- but _I_ didn't order it. I've just worked it out, of _course_ , Sammy, you ordered it, didn't you?" 

Sammy nodded. "Guilty as charged. I did feel kinda bad about breaking the other one, so... Happy early birthday?" 

Ben laughed. "Me and Jack were so confused trying to work out what'd happened. I love you, dude." 

"Aww," Archie said. "Isn't this all so sweet!" 

"But?" 

"What do you mean _but_ , Sammy Stevens?" 

"Oh, I thought you were-- it sounded like you were being sarcastic, that's all." 

"Archie Simmons, sarcastic in the face of true love? _Never._ " 

Ben sniggered, and Archie said "Don't you laugh. I'm always talking to Sheila and my--" 

"Gossip circle?" 

"--group of little birds, and the stuff I hear about most people would turn your hair white, Ben Arnold. But you four? Try as we might-- I mean, we never hear that stuff about _you._ It's all just cutesy outings and happy faces. _So_ domestic." 

"Uh, thanks, Archie?" Ben said. "I genuinely can't tell if that's a compliment or not." 

"Oh, that reminds me," Sammy said. "Talking of domestic-- Emily, if you're listening, you owe me breakfast."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always welcome! I appreciate and reply to every single one. :D


End file.
